Curtain button



Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT A. MOORE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,`ASIGNOR TO SURE LOCK CORPORATION, F NEW' YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

CURTAIN BUTTON.

Application led June 25, 1923. Serial No. 647,454.

To all whom t may con-cern.:

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. VlVlooRn, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, borough of Manhattan, in

the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the general class of separable fasteners and has particular reference to fasteners or buttons such as are used extensively for carriage or automobile curtains or the like.

Among the objects of the invention is toimprove the construction of this class of buttons with respect to neatness of appearance, ease and reliability of operation, strength and durability in service, and other features and advantages that will be appre-V like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a substantially central sectional view of the device complete and in Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, or at rightangles to Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections on the corresponding lines of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4a is a .detail perspective view of the locking member in the form just referred to.

Fig. 5 is a view similar in character to- Fig. 1, but indicating a modification.

Fig. 6 is a view of the same modification on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5, but indicating the locking member in changed positions.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings I represent a stud or head member 10 of any suitable design or construction, but indicated as having a threaded shank- 11 fixed in a support such as a carev locked position as on the line 1 1 of Fig. 3.

tachment flange 17 having spurs 18 prot jectable through the curtain and bendable over a ring 19 on the oppositev side of the curtain. This manner of attachment of the parts is referred to merely as an illustration of one suitable means and Vobviously other means may be employed if desired. The curved portion of the shell 16 is provided with a series of grooves or indentations 20 shown as four in number and at 90 apart as in Fig,V 3. vThe face portion of the-shell, adjacent to the stud, is provided with a mouth or opening 21 shaped preferably the same as the head 13 and through which the head is designed to pass freely when -assembling and disassemblingthe parts. ItY is to be understood, however, that there is no relative rotationprovided for or desired as between the head and the shell. The head is introduced directly into the shell through the mouth 21 as shown in Fig. 4 and locked in such position by suitable means.

Fixed in the shell, preferably flush with the flangev portion 17 is a disk 22 in the center of which is journaled the looking means. InY the first set 'of-figures and as shown in detail in Fig. 4a the lockingmeans comprises a spider having a disk portion 23, a pair of spaced parallel catches 24 on opposite sides of the axis ofthe locking member and carried by a pair of arms 25 extending vfrom opposite sides of the disk, anda pair of cheek or deten't members 26, likewise carried by arms 27 extending from opposite sides of the disk 23. Each of the arms 25 and 27 is of substantially right angular form with the free end portion thereof extending parallel to the axis of the device. The catches 24, however, lieY in the same plane and Vparallel to the plane of the disk 23, while the detent membersat their free ends terminate in a plane come ciding substantially with the plane of the catches. The arms 25 are stronger and stier than the arms 27, which lat-ter are in the nature of springs, the same being flexible especially along the intermediate portion or adjacent to the disk. The detents 26 at their ends or points are designed to project outward and snap into the indentations 2O for checking the rotation of the locking member at the quarter turns and holding the same from unintentional rotation in either the open or locked positions. The locking device as a whole may be formed readily as a stamping from a single piece of spring metal. The space between the catches 2li coincides substantially with the Width of the head 13 and the diameter of the neck M and this will be remembered as being substantially the same as the width of the mouth 2l. The length of the catches, however, circumferentially of the device is greater than the width of the mouth so that in the locking position the ends or points of the catches lie or engage beneath the face portion of the shell.

As a s itable means for manipulating the locking member l provide a finger piece i3 which if desired may be in the nature of a head somewhat similar in shape to the head 13 and having a shank or ournal portion 28 extending through and onrnaled in the disk 22 and fitted as by riveting in the center hole of the disk 23. Except for the detents 2G the finger piece 18 and the locking member are free to rotate in the disk 22.

The locking member is indicated by dotted lines as occupying its unlocked position in l Fig. 4t, the detcnts being seated in the indentations at right angles from vthe position of the detents in Fig. 3, and the catches 24 being nested beneath the face of the shell at the sides of the mouth 2l so that the head 13 may slip directly and freely into and out of said mouth. After the head is inserted as shown in Fig. '-t, the operator rotates the finger piece and locking member through 900, bringing the same into the position of Fig. f3 at which time the catches 24e engage the shoulder portions of the headand overlap the end portions of the mouth, making a positive interlock between the head and the socket members; ln this position it will be understood that the detente, having snapped into the indentations as in Fig. 3, will pre-- rent the accidental rotation and unlocking of the head. rihe parallel portions of the arms 25 will lie or glide at all times along the inner cylindrical surface of the shell. vWhen the locking member is Vrotated the detents will ride up out of the indentations beneath the face portion of the shell ready to snap into the neXt indentations, but it will he noted especially in Fig. 4 that there is sufficientclearance between the head and the cylindrical portion of the shell to permit the rotation of the locking member. In view of the correlation between the head 13 and the mouth portion of 'he socket nien ber it will be appreciated how important it is for the locking device to be held positively in nnlocked position so that the edges of the catches will lie flush with both straight side edges of the mouth, for the head thus will be prevented from engaging beneath the month portion of the shell. to interfere with free separation of the parts. lvifneover, theV locking levice being left in such position there can never be any obstruction to the reentry of the head again into the socket at the next operation.

rllhe general characteristics of the form of the device in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are the same as above described and the several parts of the mechanism, as far as expedient, are similarly numbered. rlhe shell 16 in this form of the invention is provided with a flange 29 extending downward around the mouth 2l.

his flange is shaped to receive the head 13 and its main purpose is to prevent either rotation of the head or lateral movement there. of in any directionwith respect to the socket member or shell. Said flange 29 is provided at its rounded end portions with slots 30 just within or beneath the fiat face portion of the shell. From Fig. 7 it will be noted that the fiat side portions of the flange 29 terminate at the ends of the slots and so form what may be termed sti shoulders or detente 31 all arranged in the form of a square and at 90 apart.

The locking device in this form of the invention comprises a pair of catches 24. approximately the same in shape and operation as already described and carried by spring arms 25 from a disk 23 rotated as above described by the finger piece 13 ro (ating in the disk 22 fixed in the flanged portion of the shell. The catches 24 may be concaved slightly on their free or oppositely arranged edges, but in both the p locked and unlocked positions the end por` tions of the catches bear directly against the detent shoulders 3l. The arms 2.3 being in this form strong springs, serve to cause or compel the locking member to lie positively either in the open unlocked position or in its locked position. Should, therefore, the operator stop rotating the locking member before the complete quarter turn is made the action of the spring arms will automatically' complete such rotative action. After the head is introduced into the flanged month as shown in Fig. 7 the operator turns the lock-, JA ing member, causing the catches 2li to ride out somewhat around the shoulders 31, clearance being observed at 82 between the parallel portions ofthe arms 25 and the inner surface of the shell for this purpose, and then the catches will pass into or across the slotted portions of the flange 29 and lie in locked position in said slots as shown in full lines in Figs. 5 and 6, the ends of the catches extending beyond the sides of the head as before described and so making a positive interlock between the parts.

I claim:

l. In a curtain button, the combina-tion with a head and a socket member relatively non-rotatable, the socket member having an opening in one side to receive the head, of a locking member carried by the socket member and including catch means adjacent to the plane of said opening, and means on the side of the socket member remote from the opening and in axial alinement with the head to actuate the catch means for interlocking the head in the socket member.

2. A. device as set forth in claim l in which the head is oblong and the opening of the socket member is of the same form as the head.

3. In a curtain button, the combination of a socket member comprising a shell of circular form and having al face plate provided with an opening other than circular in form, a head mating and co-operating with the socket member and projectable directly through said opening and conforming substantially thereto, the shell and head being relatively non-rotatable, and means journaled in the center of the side of the socket member remote from the opening and in axial alinement with the head and including catch means surrounding the head within the shell and movable between said plate and the head for interlocking the head in the shell.

el. Mechanism as set forth in claim 3 in which the face plate of theV shell comprises a flange entirely surrounding the opening, and the locking member is movable along the inner surface of said flange and cooperates therewith in holding position.

5. In a separable fastener as set forth, the

( -ombination with a relatively fixed oblong head and a socket member to receive said head, the socket member including a shell having in one side a mouth conforming to the head and through which mouth the head is projectable directly, .of a locking member movable within the shell and comprising a pair of catches spaced on opposite sides of the axis of the head and serving when moved to engage between the end portion of the head and the shell side having the mouth to interlock the head in the socket member, and comprising also a disklying opposite the end of the head in a plane parallel to the plane of the catches.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 in which the shell is provided with a face plate in which the aforesaid mouth is formed, the face plate surrounding the mouth constituting a circular flange beneath which the catches of the locking member co-operate.

7. In a separable fastener as set forth, the combination with a relatively fixed non-circular head and a socket member including a relatively stationary shell having a mouth of the same form as the head and through which mouth the head is projected, of a locking member comprising a disk journaled in the shell directly opposite and adjacent to the head, for rotation around the axis of the head and comprising also catch means lying in a plane remote from the disk and on the opposite side of the head therefrom and movable during such rot-ation into interlocki* ing position between the head and the part of the shell having the mouth.

8. A device as set forth in claim 7 in which the locking means comprises a plurality of catch members and arms for the catch members extending parallel to the axis of the head around the edge portion of the head.

9. The herein described curtain button4 comprising a head having shoulders, a socket member having an opening in one side to receive said .head directly therethrough, the head and socket member being relatively non-rotatable, catch means rotatable within the socket member and around the head, said catch means comprising a spider having a pair 'of catch members operating in a plane close to the side of the socket member having the opening and engageable beneath said shoulders, a disk adjacent to the end of the head in a plane parallel to the plane of the catch members, and al pair of arms extending from the disk parallel to the axis of the head and carrying said catch members, and means connected to the catch means to rotatethe same into locking or unlocking position.

10. Mechanism as set forth in claim 9 inv which the spider includes spring detent means carried by the disk and approximately parallel to the axis of the head while the socket member is provided with depressions into which the detent means is engageable while moving radially outward from the axis of the head.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

. RoRRRT A. MooRE. 

